APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

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APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by APOD Robot » Wed May 09, 2012 4:06 am

Image Shuttle Enterprise Over New York

Explanation: What's that in the background? Two famous New York City icons stand tall in the above photo taken last week. On the left looms the Statue of Liberty, a universal symbol of freedom, while on the right rises the Empire State Building, now the second largest building in the city. What's unique about this once-in-a-lifetime photograph, though, is the third icon that appears to Lady Liberty's left. High in the air and far in the background flies the space shuttle Enterprise -- perched atop a 747 jet -- on the way to its new home. New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple can visit the test space shuttle at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on the West Side of Manhattan starting July 19.

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by Ann » Wed May 09, 2012 5:47 am

It is fascinating to see the shuttle Enterprise so low in the sky, apparently much lower than the Empire State Building. It is as if the Earth and the sky was changing places, or as if they were somehow intermixed, as if going to space was no big deal. Or as if the Empire State Building had already half-achieved that goal.

I like how the the headgear of the Statue of Liberty looks like unruly bangs, as if the statue's hair was flying in the wind as the shuttle is passing by. All in all, this is a picture with an attitude, where many of the inanimate objects appear to make individual statements and communicate with each other.

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by wanna_be » Wed May 09, 2012 5:52 am

Ann wrote:... as if going to space was no big deal.
Ann
I guess it isn't, since we're not doing it anymore.

... not bitter ... much!

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by starstruck » Wed May 09, 2012 7:08 am

I remember the very first time I ever saw the shuttle in it's vertical launch position, with the twin boosters and the massive central tank; the visual reminded me strongly of the Taj Mahal, it looked very exotic indeed compared to all the other rocket designs that there had been up 'til that point. Now, looking at the great perspective of this picture, I am equally impressed by just how rocket-like the Empire State Building looks too (check out the 'above picture' link to see the full photo!) . . it looks absolutely poised for blast-off! This beautifully taken photo perfectly captures a moment and a whole feeling . . . it could be titled "This is America!"

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by wanna_be » Wed May 09, 2012 7:50 am

starstruck wrote: . . . it could be titled "This is America!"
Don't you mean "This WAS America"? I've noted this disconnection to reality generally in ceremonial comment on the retirement of the Space Shuttle. Somehow the pride in past glory becomes a permanent reality. This delusion is most evident on TV with references to and depictions of "astronauts", as though this were an ongoing enterprise.

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by Ann » Wed May 09, 2012 8:37 am

Indeed, Starstruck, this is a great photo. I love how the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty seem to point to the sky "in tandem".

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by Boomer12k » Wed May 09, 2012 8:52 am

"Go, baby, Go"...


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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by K1NS » Wed May 09, 2012 9:26 am

The remarkable thing about this photo for me is that the photographer got the photo absolutely orthogonal. In other words, the horizontal and vertical lines of the buildings line up exactly with the edges of the photo. Anyone who has done any architectural photography will tell you that this can be a challenge, in this case especially because he had to be aligned perfectly for the expected fly-over. Good job!

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by Indigo_Sunrise » Wed May 09, 2012 10:28 am

GREAT IMAGE!





That is all.

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by Beyond » Wed May 09, 2012 10:54 am

I especially liked the close-up of the -perched atop- link. To coin an old phrase, it really is the "cat's meow". :kitty: :yes:
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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by neufer » Wed May 09, 2012 12:12 pm

Ann wrote:
I like how the the headgear of the Statue of Liberty looks like unruly bangs,
as if the statue's hair was flying in the wind as the shuttle is passing by.
You should have seen the photo of her just after she "got goosed."
Ann wrote:
All in all, this is a picture with an attitude, where many of the inanimate objects
appear to make individual statements and communicate with each other.
Art Neuendorffer

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"The Galaxy is on Orion's belt"

Post by neufer » Wed May 09, 2012 12:46 pm

Beyond wrote:
I especially liked the close-up of the -perched atop- link.
To coin an old phrase, it really is the "cat's meow". :kitty: :yes:
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/southwest/view/20120508meow_the_39-pound_cat_dies/ wrote: Meow the 39-pound cat dies
By Kathaleen Roberts / Albuquerque Journal, May 8, 2012

<<The extra pounds that propelled Meow the shelter cat to national celebrity have killed him. The 5-year-old, 39-pound cat died Saturday of respiratory complications related to his girth, Santa Fe Animal Shelter executive director Mary Martin said Monday.

The huge but personable feline became the subject of nationwide fame last month after appearing with Anderson Cooper and on the “Today” show — where Meow met actor Hugh Grant — as part of a media blitz to warn pet owners of the dangers of pet obesity.

Meow traveled between Santa Fe and the East Coast for his TV appearances by airplane in a carrier that was stowed in an area for animals near the luggage. When asked Monday, shelter officials denied that the jetting around and the pressures of meeting his fans might have contributed to Meow’s demise — a theory put forth by many on the Internet after news of the fat cat’s death hit news sites around the world. “We were wondering about that,” Martin acknowledged. “But he wasn’t showing that. Cats don’t like stress. But he liked people. I think he was more stressed not being around people. He was purring all the time.” And shelter officials said Meow did well in New York while hitting the talk-show circuit.

Meow the cat had found refuge in Santa Fe after his elderly Roswell owner could no longer care for him.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_in_Black_%28film%29 wrote:

<<Men in Black (MIB) is contacted by an Arquillian fleet in Earth orbit; the fleet warns that a "Bug," a member of a giant cockroach-like species that are at war with several alien races, has come to Earth searching for an object known as the Galaxy. It's infinite power could turn the tide of war in favor of the Bugs. To prevent this, they are willing to destroy the Earth unless the MIB can secure the Galaxy before their deadline, only hours away. Agent K and Agent J find the Bug is disguised using the skin of farmer Edgar after killing the human. It already killed two Arquillians it believed had the Galaxy. The two bodies, along with a cat that refuses to leave its owner, are taken to the city morgue. There, Dr. Laurel Weaver discovers one of the tiny Arquillians is barely alive inside its human looking robot; struggling with English, it whispers to her that "The Galaxy is on Orion's belt" before it expires. K and J arrive to help remove the alien bodies and wipe Laurel's mind, but not before learning about this message. En route back to headquarters, they realize that Orion refers to Rosenberg's cat and the belt would mean the cat's collar.>>
Santa Fe veterinarian Jennifer Steketee thought Meow’s health had been improving because he had lost two to three pounds. The average cat weighs between 8 and 12 pounds. Meow had been transferred into a foster home after a physical examination, blood work and a weight-loss plan were completed at the shelter. “He’d been doing really well,” Martin said. “He’d been climbing the stairs,” an activity he had never attempted before. He loved his brush and would push his head against it to ask for grooming, she added.

The shelter had put him on a diet of fresh protein ––chicken and turkey, with some Wellness kibble, she said. “The Roswell shelter told us he had been on a hot dog diet,” Martin continued. “Then (the former owner’s) daughter said that was not true. So we don’t really know” what he had been eating.

But on Thursday Meow’s foster family noticed he wasn’t eating well and was wheezing. “He ate a snack here and there, but he wasn’t eating very much,” Martin said. Steketee took him to an emergency veterinary hospital, where doctors gave him oxygen and asthma medicine. His vital signs “weren’t great, but they weren’t horrible,” Martin said. “We kept him on oxygen to make him comfortable.” Staff members took him to another clinic for a cardiac ultrasound, which showed nothing wrong. He spent the night there.

Meow seemed stable Friday morning, so Steketee took him to her home to watch him. “I wouldn’t let him out of my sight,” she said. His condition had deteriorated by Saturday, so Steketee took him back to the clinic. His heart stopped early Saturday afternoon.

“I think the consequences of his obesity for 4½ years just caught up with him,” Steketee said. “He just took a turn for the worse despite everything we did to turn it around. He was bright and alert and cheerful until those respiratory symptoms started. It challenged every part of his body to fight against this extra weight. His lungs had to push against this huge layer of fat.”

The story of the brown-and white kitty with the bright green eyes touched a chord with thousands. Although shelter staffers originally thought he was 2 years old, his former owner’s daughter said he was actually 5, Martin said. “The fact is he died here at 5 years of age,” Steketee said. “Most cats actually live to 15-20. It’s a preventable problem.”

The shelter staff were astounded by the avalanche of attention over Meow’s story. “When we put this out, we thought maybe local folks would pick it up,” Martin continued. “This (obesity) is an epidemic. We’ve gotten comments (on Facebook) like ‘Meow has inspired me as a human being to lose weight.’”>>
Art Neuendorffer

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by Peterzukman » Wed May 09, 2012 12:52 pm

As a former New Yorker, I think that this is a composite of multiple photographs. I do not think it is possible to view the Empire State Building from a location that includes the Statue of Liberty.

Photographer Bill Ingalls: Please explain how you took this picture.... Thanks.

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by neufer » Wed May 09, 2012 1:16 pm


.
Peterzukman wrote:
As a former New Yorker, I think that this is a composite of multiple photographs. I do not think it is possible to view the Empire State Building from a location that includes the Statue of Liberty.

Photographer Bill Ingalls: Please explain how you took this picture.... Thanks.
. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlogsr/4562849864/
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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by APODFORIST » Wed May 09, 2012 1:29 pm

K1NS wrote:The remarkable thing about this photo for me is that the photographer got the photo absolutely orthogonal. In other words, the horizontal and vertical lines of the buildings line up exactly with the edges of the photo. Anyone who has done any architectural photography will tell you that this can be a challenge, in this case especially because he had to be aligned perfectly for the expected fly-over. Good job!
It seems the photographer used a small telescope ;-)

This could explain the fact the photo is orthogonal everywhere and the Empire State Building seems not far away from the statue of liberty although the distance is more than 5 miles.
Luckily the air was very clear on this day

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by Neptune » Wed May 09, 2012 1:50 pm

Amazing picture, that reminds me that all we have a cycle, in this case is remarcable to see one of the major spaceships is flying for its last time... Obviously, a fact to remember.

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by Rothkko » Wed May 09, 2012 1:56 pm

"This is America!"

No he pagado con mis impuestos nada de lo que aparece en esta estupenda fotografía, pero también me veo representado en ella. Por ello, yo diría... ¡Esto es el mundo!. No I paid with my tax anything of what appears in this wonderful photograph, but I am also represented therein. For this reason, I would say... This is the world!
Last edited by Rothkko on Wed May 09, 2012 6:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by rstevenson » Wed May 09, 2012 2:01 pm

Peterzukman wrote:I do not think it is possible to view the Empire State Building from a location that includes the Statue of Liberty.
So generically speaking, you're saying it's not possible to draw a straight line between those two objects, and project it back to a place from which to take a photo? Why not?

When I view them both on Google Maps and project the straight line back down towards (more or less) the Bayonne Golf Club, it looks to me like there'd be numerous places from which to take the photo.

Rob

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by peterbradford » Wed May 09, 2012 2:06 pm

It's a beautiful photograph, but I have to admit that when I first opened the page my heart missed a beat--d@mn you, Al Quaeda!

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Streak Over Shuttle?

Post by Tzabeu » Wed May 09, 2012 2:08 pm

I can't quite make out what that streak is about 10:00 over the shuttle. It's a UFO until it becomes an IFO. Can anyone shed a better light on it?

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Re: Streak Over Shuttle?

Post by owlice » Wed May 09, 2012 2:32 pm

Tzabeu wrote:I can't quite make out what that streak is about 10:00 over the shuttle. It's a UFO until it becomes an IFO. Can anyone shed a better light on it?
Likely sunlight glinting off the chase plane.
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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by moonstruck » Wed May 09, 2012 2:34 pm

Very nice work. Thank you, Bill Ingalls.

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by revloren » Wed May 09, 2012 2:47 pm

Clicking on the picture takes you to the full crop, which shows the going-ons at the base of Lady Liberty, as well as the top of the spire of the ESB.

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by Chris Peterson » Wed May 09, 2012 3:28 pm

K1NS wrote:The remarkable thing about this photo for me is that the photographer got the photo absolutely orthogonal. In other words, the horizontal and vertical lines of the buildings line up exactly with the edges of the photo. Anyone who has done any architectural photography will tell you that this can be a challenge, in this case especially because he had to be aligned perfectly for the expected fly-over. Good job!
This can happen at least three ways: (1) by imaging from a long distance away with respect to the distance between the objects, (2) by using exotic tilted optics (which used to be popular with architectural photographers), (3) by making things orthogonal in Photoshop. The third is now standard practice, although I suspect the first explains things in today's image.
Chris

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Re: APOD: Shuttle Enterprise Over New York (2012 May 09)

Post by Chris Peterson » Wed May 09, 2012 3:32 pm

wanna_be wrote:
starstruck wrote: . . . it could be titled "This is America!"
Don't you mean "This WAS America"? I've noted this disconnection to reality generally in ceremonial comment on the retirement of the Space Shuttle. Somehow the pride in past glory becomes a permanent reality. This delusion is most evident on TV with references to and depictions of "astronauts", as though this were an ongoing enterprise.
I don't understand. We are still going to space. We have an active program of both manned and unmanned space exploration. We retired a piece of overpriced, obsolete, dangerous technology. So what? It hasn't changed anything in actual practice, except possibly to free up some resources for more useful purposes.
Chris

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